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"I have you right where I want you, Dread Pirate Gaelug!" Alina shouted, her voice echoing throughout the old clocktower they found themselves in. The tower itself was abandoned, with sunbeams streaming through holes in the roof and walls and even more so through the large white clockface backlighting the pirate criminal. Large wooden support beams jutted every which way, each rotted through and threatening to fall at any moment. The whole building seemed to creak as Alina stepped forward, putting herself between Gaelug and the only exit out of there.
Gaelug, for her part, merely leant against an old railing, arms crossed across her chest. The pirate looked unarmed and her face showed a mix of casual amusement and boredom. "No you don't, my dear Alina. Not really."
Alina knew there had to be some sort of trick here, this was too easy. She'd spotted the Orcish Pirate while buying a new diary in the market and followed her sneakily up to the top of this tower where she'd found the pirate waiting. Alina hadn't bothered to alert the guards, no way anyone else was going to get credit for this apart from herself. No one else was allowed to take her prize. "What are you talking about? I found you and you're under arrest!"
"I'm starting to get tired of this game, Alina." Gaelug said, folding her arms. "It was fun for a while but I was really hoping we'd have moved passed this by now."
"Moved passed this how? Moved passed what, I don't know what you're on about." Alina was starting to get a bit frustrated, this wasn't how their exchanges usually went. The pirate was never this candid. Where was the banter and the fire? "And stop calling me Alina, it isn't right."
For the first time since Alina spotted her, Gaelug actually looked surprised. "But... that's your name, isn't it? What should I call you instead?"
The elf opened her mouth to speak but paused for a moment. She herself didn't seem sure what she wanted anymore. "I... I don't know. We're enemies! Enemies don't call each other by name. You call them scum or princess or whatever..."
Gaelug burst out laughing as Alina trailed off and looked embarassed. The elf blushed slightly and lowered her weapon, having lost a lot of enthusiasm to fight now.
After she was done laughing the pirate wiped some tears away from her eyes. "You want me to call you Princess?"
"No! I... It was just a suggestion, I..." Alina stammered in her exasperation.
"Ha, now you've been reading too many stories Princess." Gaelug was smirking at her now, which only served to make Alina more annoyed.
Realising this was probably exactly what the pirate wanted Alina took a deep breath and reformed her stance before continuing. "But what are you talking about anyway, what should we have moved passed, what game are you on about? Really."
The pirate rolled her eyes. "Come now, you're far too clever to be this dense. I've been having fun, I really have, but I thought for sure we'd have ended up well..." The Orc was doing some obscure gestures with her hands to try and get her point across.
Alina started to understand what she meant, a blush grew across her face as Gaelug’s rather… dexterous hands drew more obscene gestures in the air. She laughed a single loud laugh. "Ha! You thought I'd sleep with you. Me with you? A Pirate?" Alina scoffed at the thought, but now refused to look her enemy in the eye. She scoffed again, louder this time to really get her point across. "How could you possibly think that?"
Now Gaelug was getting frustrated herself. "After all of this, all the little bits of help we've given each other the last few months. Me letting you rescue that obnoxious manchild of a noble's son. Leaving you clues to a few bits of buried treasure here and there and you telling me about the secret raid on my stronghold?" Gaelug was done being coy and playful and this surprised Alina.
The elf now matched the pirate’s frustration but mixed it with anger as she turned back to look at the Orc. "So that was your plan all along, hm? All of this the last few months so you could blackmail me into sleeping with you? You're pathetic and disgusting. I only told you about that raid so Levos wouldn't get credit for your capture."
The anger seemed contagious as Gaelug shouted back. "Come along, that's not what I meant. We've been helping each other and you know it, with the clues I've left you to help with your career and the letters you've sent me warning me about the navy, I thought we had an agreement."
"I don't know what you're talking-"
"Oh stop with the rubbish, I've stolen enough of your diaries to recognise your handwriting by now."
"I knew it was you, you're the one who's been pilfering my diaries and pens, you bastard!"
"Yes, obviously, I know you knew, you wrote as much in your last diary before I snuck onto your ship and took it! Though why would I steal your pens as well? I’ve got no use for them." Gaelug spoke genuinely enough that Alina was inclined to believe her and if Gaelug wasn't the one taking her pens, that meant there was another thief aboard her ship, but that would have to be dealt with later as the Pirate drew her attention again. "Besides if you didn't want me to take the diaries you'd have changed the code on your padlock after the second time."
Alina didn’t fully know why she hadn’t bothered to change the lock. She knew the intel she wrote was important and would be even more valuable to a certain pirate whom she suspected was behind the thefts. But the more she suspected the less she found herself actually able to make the change. She even began to write more personal notes in the diary, which was very unusual for her, almost as if she hoped someone would read them...
For once Alina had no comeback and Gaelug seemed to have reached the end of her rope as well. The both of them merely stood there in relative silence, breathing heavily as their anger began to subside little by little, while the old wood creaked around them.
Gaelug was the one to break the silence. "We also kissed that one time..." In a sudden change to her previous demeanour the pirate now spoke meekly while rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly and took a step towards Alina.
"No." Alina protested, her face getting warmer and redder. "No that wasn't a kiss. That was an accident, I slipped and... and that was it." She didn't react as the pirate continued walking cautiously towards her, didn’t retreat or move, she just seemed glued to the spot, her grip on the rapier now wavering.
"It was a very long accident if that was the case." Gaelug stepped closer. "But you did call it a kiss in your diary."
In frustration Alina threw her rapier to the wooden floor, not caring if she damaged it and not caring to fight any more. She buried her face in her hands, mentally chastising herself for not changing the lock for the diaries, until a hand on her shoulder broke her out of her wallowing. She looked up into familiar golden eyes. Eyes that usually instilled fear and horror into most sailors. Eyes that usually drove her to righteous fury. But now seemed different; warm, pleading and surprisingly beautiful. It was Alina's turn to speak. "So, what happens now?" She spoke softly. Truthfully she didn't really know what to think right now. So she was done thinking.
Gaelug looked like she was about to say something before Alina quickly grabbed her by the back of the neck and pulled her down into a deep kiss. The pirates lips were rough from salty sea air but the kiss itself was soft and gentle and left Alina wanting more. Both of their shoulders dropped as a months long catharsis flowed through their bodies, all tension relieved as they desperately pulled each other closer. Alina’s hands scrunching the back the pirate’s jacket as she felt strong arms lock around her waist.
After they finally broke apart they continued to stare into each other's eyes. Alina was lost for words so Gaelug spoke instead. "Now I think you have me where you want me."
Alina didn't fully understand why, but she laughed and with it came a smile Gaelug had never seen before but knew she wanted to see a thousand times more. "Don't ruin it." Alina muttered and stood there in bliss for a moment. Though, not one to ever enjoy a moment, she quickly felt her senses return to her. Her peaceful smile faded and she released her grip on the pirate. "Fuck." She said. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. What am I doing?" Alina slumped to the floor shaking her head.
Gaelug slowly sat down next to her. The Orc wanted to speak but didn't know the words to comfort her companion, she raised an arm, wanting to wrap it over Alina's shoulders and pull her close but thought better of it. So she waited.
An eternity seemed to pass as they sat there in silence until Alina finally felt comfortable enough to say something. "I'm not going to leave with you." She said, as if she'd ran through a thousand scenarios in her head.
The Pirate seemed to consider this for a moment. "I wouldn't want you to, I like you as you are." Gaelug watched Alina as she rubbed her temple, clearly stressed. "This doesn't have to be complicated."
Alina turned to look at the her. "It's already complicated." Gaelug sighed but nodded in agreement. "We'd better go. Before I regret this."
The pirate looked at her curiously. "Go?"
"Yes, go. There's surely an inn or tavern in town somewhere that will discretely rent us a room for the afternoon." Alina looked very serious as she said this which left Gaelug dumbstruck and so she just nodded in response, swallowing as she suddenly became acutely aware of the saliva in her mouth.
Alina started to stand up first, using a nearby wooden beam as support, but unfortunately the wood was extremely rotten through and snapped as she put her full weight on it sending her collapsing to the floor. The beam itself fell away from the two sailors but the section of roof it was supporting above them caved in and began to fall.
"Alina!" Gaelug shouted and dove on top of her as the elf lay prone on the floor. Old wood and shingles rained down on them, pummelling the pirate's back as she used her body to protect Alina, gritting her teeth all the while. When it was all over and the dust was settling, Alina opened her eyes and saw Gaelug leaning over her breathing heavily, a pile of debris surrounding them. "You're ok?" Was all the pirate could muster the energy to say.
"Ali." Came the response. Gaelug opened one eye to look at Alina. She was confused but that could have also been the concussion. "You can call me Ali." Alina elaborated. Gaelug did her best to smile and nod but as she tried she instead collapsed to the floor unconscious.
When the orc came to, she felt remarkably better. Opening her eyes she found they were still in the clocktower as Alina moved her hands slowly up and down the pirate's body. "You're a healer?"
Alina breathed a sigh of relief as she locked eyes with her patient. "Yes, but don't tell anyone. I prefer to be fighting rather than staying back and taking care of weaklings."
Anyone else suggesting she was weak would have found themselves with a knife in their gut but when Alina said it, Gaelug couldn’t help but smile. She sat up and stretched, testing her shoulders; stiff and sore, but otherwise no worse for wear. "I promise." Doubting that anyone would listen to a pirate anyway but she still felt it mattered that she said it.
Alina stood up first again, carefully this time, and proferred a hand. "There's still hours in the day if you want to come with me, my heroic pirate.”
Gaelug chuckled and took the hand. "Don't ruin it."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As Alina arrived back at her ship the sun was setting and she was greeted by one of her sailors. The lad seemed a bit unnerved by the fact that the captain was smiling so openly. "Oh Captain, you were gone for awhile. Umm welcome back, should we get ready to set off then?"
Alina nodded at him. "Yes, Ensign Gallaway, I think we should, I'll inform the crew." She stated and started moving up the gangway, but stopped at the bottom. She looked down at the young lad. His uniform pristine and sleek, but there was a notable bump on his chest.
Without a word Alina reached over to him, her blissful smile had vanished and a dark shadow grew over her face. Gallaway felt his blood grow cold. Gently, Alina’s hand reached into his shirt pocket rummaged around and pulled out… a pen.
There seemed to be no noise around them, the entire world stopped save for Alina’s piercing stare and the Ensign’s rapid heartbeat. “Captain. I’m sorry I-“
But rather than wait for her response he just bolted, off into the port town faster than a wild cat. Alina decided not to follow, she was in a good mood. Instead she reached into her bag, pulled out her new diary and tucked the pen inside it, holding the book up to her mouth to disguise her smile she let out a lilting sigh and walked up onto her ship.